Wooden shaft



Jan. 8 1924. 1,480,056

D. W. FLINT WOODEN SHAFT Filed Oct. -9, `1922 atto z 149.14

Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

UNITED T E i;

DUTEE W. FLINT, 0F CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND.

WOODEN SHAFT.

Application led October 9, 1922. Serial No. 593,214.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Duran WiLCox FLIN'r, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Cranston, in the county of Providence and Stateof Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWooden Shafts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved con- 'struction of wooden shaftsdesigned more particularly for golf clubs, but which may be used for anyother purpose for which they are adapted, and the object of thisinvention is to secure a sleeve member to the head-end of the shaft forthe purpose of enlargding this end to fit the socket of a metal Withthese and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novelfeatures of construction, as will be more fully described, andparticularly pointed outin the ap ended claim.

n the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 shows a shaft of my improved construction as being providedwith an enlarging sleeve to fit the socket of a metal head-member.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view partly in section illustrating the -sleevemember as applied to the small end of the shaft Yfor the purpose ofenlarging the same to fit the socket of the metal head.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the enlar ng sleeve removed from theshaft.

igure 4 is an end view of a composite `shaft showingthe strips of woodas formed triangularly 1n cross section.

Figure 5 is an end view of a composite shaft formed of strips of woodrectangular in cross section.

It is found in practice that bambo shafts adapted for use in golf clubsand for other purposes in order to be reduced in diameter to therequired size and shape and possess the required strength must be madeof a plurality of strips of this wood secured together side by side, andmust have the inner or softer portion of the bamboo cut away more orless and retain as far as possible the harder or outer portion thereof,and in forming a tapering shaft of this character its smallest diametermust necessarily be reduced beyond the size required to fit and ill thesocket of the metal head, and, therefore, to restore or build-up thisend to the required diameter, I have applied a sleeve preferably ofwood, to this smaller end and shaped it to t into the socket of thehead; and the following is a detailed descrlption of one means by whichthis result may be accomplished VVith reference to the drawings, 10designates the handle portion of the shaft, which 1s usually served witha leather winding, and 11 the neck or reduced portion thereof. In orderto obtain a tapered shaft having this reduced or neck portion, it willbe seen that if such a composite shaft formed of strips of bamboo wereturned on a lathe and the stock taken from the outside thereof, toreduce the same to the size and shape deslred leaving an enlargedportion at the end of sufficient lsize to fit the socket, that so muchof the outer or harder surface would be removed in forming this neckportion that the shaft would be too weak to withstand the strainsrequired of it, and, therefore, would be useless. Therefore, to overcomethis difliculty and retain the necessary strength at the neck, insteadof removing the outer surface of the wood, I shape the shaft by removingthe inner or softer portion of the bamboo retaining only the harder,stronger and more suitable portion for the shaft which will withstandthe strains required of it for such purposes. The taper is produced byremoving a greater quantity of the inner portion of the wood at thetapered end than at the other.

'In other words, the inner surface of each strip is inclined withrespect to the plane of the outer surface thereof. In order to restoreor enlarge this reduced portion of the shaft to the required sizenecessary to t and fill the socket portion of the iron head 13,. I haveprovided a sleeve member 14 which is also preferabl formed of bamboo andhave forced and ued this sleeve onto the reduced end of the shaft whichin addition toenlarging the shaft also serves to bind the stripstogether at the end receiving the most strain. I then taper the upperend 15 of the sleeve back to conform to the contour of the taperin shaftforming a ferrule or supporting portion for this end.

In some cases the shafts used may be constructed of strips rectangularin cross section, as shown 1n Figure 5, while in other cases stri striangular in cross section, as shown in igure 4, may be employed.

I do not Wish to be restricted to Lne use of an enlar ing sleeve on anyparticular construction o shaft of this character as such a shaft may bemade up of sections of any number or form.

ABy the use of my improved construction of composite shaft the same isformed of the maximum strength at the point Where the greatest strengthis required, and is formed of a size to lit the socket of the usy ualmetal head in a golf club.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the constructionillustrated, but l desire it to be understood that l reserve theprivilege of resorting to allthe mechanical changes to which the deviceis susceptible, the invention being defined and lilmited only by theterms of the appended c aim.

ll claim:

A shaft for golf clubs and the like comprising a composite bodconsisting of a plurality of strips of bam oo secured together side byside, the relatively soft inner portions of the respective strips beingremoved more or less to. provide inclined surfaces, Whereb when thestrips are assembled With the inclined inner surfaces in abuttedrelation a taper is imparted to the body, and a Wood sleeve surroundingand glued tothe smaller end of said body, whereby separation of thecontiguous ends of the strips is prevented and the shaft is reenforcedat this locality, said sleeve having one end shaped to enter the socketof a head member.

lln testimony whereof ll aiix my signature.

DUTEE W, FLENT.

